On day one of early in-person voting in North Carolina, Forsyth County voters share their motivations for casting a ballot early as well as their concerns for the country with WFDD's David Ford.
It’s been nearly three weeks since tropical storm Helene hit western North Carolina, flooding homes, washing away roads and upending the rural mountain towns in its path. But throughout this period of upheaval, educators have been working with kids to restore a sense of normalcy — if only for a few hours in the day.
Early in-person voting has started in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina. That includes in the mountains, where some potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene's epic flooding.
Monstrous hurricanes Helene and Milton caused so much complex havoc that damages are still being added up, but experts in economics, insurance and risk say they are likely to be in the pantheon of super-costly $50 billion disasters. That would put them in the company of storms like Katrina, Sandy and Harvey. Making those costs even more painful is that most of that damage, particularly in Helene's case, was not insured. Several experts say damages are skyrocketing because people are building in harm's way, reconstruction costs are soaring faster than inflation and human-caused climate change is making storms stronger and wetter.
Appalachian State University resumed classes today after being closed for a little less than three weeks due to Helene. But for students who lost their homes and belongings in the storm, returning to school isn’t easy.
Immigration, the economy and abortion are a few of the national issues voters are considering ahead of the November election. But what about local issues?
Election officials have limited the hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but expanded dates to include weekends during the early voting period, which ends November 2.
The state government recommends private well owners and people who use septic systems get them both tested for structural integrity and potential contamination.
As fall temperatures begin to cool off the region, state officials are recommending safety precautions for heating homes, particularly for those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
